Drake's Stupid Heart
by firefly-hwufanficwriter
Summary: (The Royal Romance.) (MC/Drake.) It wasn't Drake's fault that he fell in love with a foreigner who somehow got herself in the running to be the future queen of Cordonia. He had his stupid heart to blame for that.
1. The Coronation

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Choices. This fun game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter One: The Coronation  
**

* * *

By the time of his friend Prince Liam's royal coronation, Drake was in deeply love with Riley in that stupid, sappy way you see in romantic movies where the guy wanted nothing more than to swoop in and get down on one knee and propose, diamond ring and all… despite the fact that unlike most people, if his friend yelled, "Off with his head!" there were _actual_ palace guards who could swoop in themselves and _actually_ take said head.

And Drake needed his head.

More importantly, he was hesitant to put himself, Riley, or Liam in that position because Liam was his best friend. You didn't try to get together with your friend's girl. No way. That was Rule Number One in the bro code.

But did Riley even count as Liam's girl? Did Liam count as Riley's guy? The whole point of the competition was to decide who would the best wife for Liam and the best queen for Cordonia, which meant that until there was an official decision, Riley and Liam _technically_ couldn't be considered "together," just like Liam wasn't technically "together" with any of the other women in the competition.

So there was still a chance, and Drake _had_ to take that chance, and find out how Riley felt about him, before any official decision was made.

* * *

Except - maybe he _shouldn't_ take the chance. Riley, while failing at first at those tests about social graces and formal etiquette due to her lack of training compared to the other women, had showed her true self in the competition.

But, putting his personal romantic feelings aside, out of all the women in the competition, Riley, with her creativity, compassion, and wisdom, had shown herself to be the best candidate to be the queen of the kingdom of Cordonia. Even at a distinct disadvantage, she took the responsibilities of rule seriously, studying Cordonian law late into the night and asking for help when she needed it, occasionally impressing even the king and queen with her dedication.

This competition wasn't just about Liam. It was about who would be the best queen for Cordonia. And Riley had the intelligence and compassion that showed that she would be the best co-ruler with Liam for their people. If Drake and Riley ended up together, she wouldn't be the queen.

Could Drake really do that to Cordonia?

He couldn't. He _shouldn't._

But it wasn't all about him. Riley was equally important in this, and in the past months, with all the conversations they had and how they had slowly opened up to each other, Drake had reason to believe that maybe, just maybe, she felt the same way he did - that she was in love with him, too. If he didn't even at least _try_ talk to her about this tonight, they might both walk away never knowing what could have been. Could he really do that to Riley?

And could Drake really do that to himself?

* * *

(End of Chapter One.) (Originally posted on T-01/05/17.) (F-17/06/18.)

* * *

 **Chapter One notes:** (B01-C01.) This takes place during Book One, Chapter One. Drake is thinking all these things before he sees Riley for the first time at the royal coronation. I decided to take the bull by the horns and write the very first MC/Drake fanfic for the Choices fandom, haha! (At least, I think it's the first? Please correct me if I'm wrong, though!) Even though we know so little about him right now (since The Royal Romance has only three chapters at the moment), I think the MC/Drake pairing has potential because of the things he said during Prince Liam's coronation.

 **About my main Pixelberry fanfic:** Hello! :) If you like Pixelberry's Hollywood U or Pixelberry's Red Carpet Diaries, then I encourage you to read my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute." It currently has 219,000 words (64 chapters), and it is written from Thomas Hunt's perspective :D

 **(Thanks for reading! :D Reviews make me smile! ^_^)**


	2. Best Friend

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Choices. This fun game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter Two: Best Friend  
**

* * *

Drake shook his head in amusement. Ordering medium-rare fillet mignon with bearnaise sauce at a bar? These guys were hopeless. He was sure that being nobility had its advantages, but from what he had seen of the royal court, it seemed that commoners like Drake had more common sense, which, really, was a skill that was more useful than wine pairing or waltz.

He took over the ordering. "We'll be fine with a bottle of whiskey… and four deluxe burgers."

"Four?" the waitress repeated, puzzled.

At her question, Drake nodded his head to indicate that she should turn around, and when she did, their group's order finally made sense to her. After speaking as politely to Liam as she had to the rest of them, she left to take their order to the kitchen.

From the lack of fawning, it was obvious that she had no idea who Liam was, and Drake hoped it stayed that way…

* * *

…except it didn't. One trip to an admittedly gorgeous beach cove later, Liam apparently spilled the beans about being a prince, and, all of a sudden, the waitress – whose name turned out to be Riley – was taking him on a private tour to see the Statue of Liberty.

Which was suspicious.

Even in Drake's own family, there were people who kept telling him that he was 'wasting' his friendship with Liam; that he should ask to be made minor nobility or a court adviser or something else that would elevate Drake's family's status. He had _no_ intention of listening to them.

And Drake knew how other people, especially Cordonian nobility, saw him – as a random guy who mooched off of Liam's private jets and expensive banquets and exotic trips around the world.

Frankly, he didn't care that they thought that because he knew it wasn't true. His best friend was Liam, not 'Prince' Liam.

But he knew that not everybody had that kind of attitude. Riley had taken Liam to the Statue of Liberty _after_ she found out that he was a prince, not before.

Of course, maybe she had nothing _evil_ in mind. Maybe she wasn't a gold digger. Maybe she was just a normal person who was looking for a chance to have an exciting story to tell her friends…

* * *

…and if she was, she definitely got it when that _idiot_ Maxwell volunteered to sponsor her in the competition.

He would really need to have a word with that moron.

Because he was a commoner himself, Drake knew how conniving, mercenary, and deceptive most commoners could be. Maybe Riley genuinely thought she and Liam could have something meaningful; or maybe she was just a random girl who wanted a once-in-a-lifetime experience… or maybe she had less innocent plans in mind.

Drake honestly didn't know… but he loved Liam like a brother, and if this waitress was out to take advantage of him in any way, she would have Drake to answer to.

* * *

(End of Chapter Two.) (T-06/05/17.) (F-17/06/18.)

* * *

 **Chapter Two notes:** (B01-C01.) This is what I theorize Drake is like - the nobles don't trust him because he's a commoner, but in reality, it's other commoners whom they shouldn't trust, and Drake, in his own way, is trying to protect his best friend from people who might take advantage of him :) I think that would explain perfectly why he's less than welcoming towards Riley in the plane - like he's seen gold digging commoners in the past, so he has no reason to trust her :( **  
**

 **About my main Pixelberry fanfic:** Hello! :) If you like Pixelberry's Hollywood U or Pixelberry's Red Carpet Diaries, then I encourage you to read my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute." It currently has 219,000 words (64 chapters), and it is written from Thomas Hunt's perspective :D

 **(Thanks for reading! :D Reviews make me smile! ^_^)**


	3. Happy Neigh

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Choices. This fun game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter Three: Happy Neigh  
**

* * *

Normally, he kept to himself at these balls. Drake really only came to support Liam at these things. He wanted to have his friend's back in case anything went wrong – or in case he wanted somebody he could be himself around… and Liam being himself usually meant losing push-up bets to Drake.

He smirked.

As he was enjoying his solitude, it was disrupted by Riley, who, at first glance, had the least expensive gown of all the suitors – even Drake could see that, and that was without him being like Bertrand, who could have probably named all the types of lace Cordonia was capable of producing. He knew right away that Riley's relatively cheap dress would get instantly attract the wrong kind of attention, and told her so.

"They're being nice to your _face._ What they're saying behind your back is a whole other story."

"If they're that bad, Drake, then why are _you_ friends with them?"

He was mildly offended that she could think that he was friends with all of these uppity nobles, but he couldn't really blame her, since she was new to the court. After telling her he was friends with Liam, she asked about Maxwell – and what Drake knew about _him_ wasn't appropriate conversation for the ballroom, so he chose to just leave the conversation.

Drake _did_ wish her luck before he left, though, because as he knew very well, commoners like them could use all the luck they could get when it came to formal functions like this.

From what he saw, it seemed to have worked, because when she and Liam shared a dance, he pulled his trusty 'waltz into the balcony' move – and whatever they talked about out there must have made an impact on Liam, because afterwards, he asked Drake to look out for Riley the next day at the Derby…

* * *

…which turned out to be very wise of Liam, since Riley somehow got into the stables and startled the poor horse who had probably been minding its own business when she came in.

Darting between her and the rearing horse, Drake gently stroked the horse's flowing mane, conveying with touch that everything was alright.

"There's nothing to worry about, big fella. You just relax now… no need to be all worked up about this when there's a big race today that you're gonna win…"

Locking eyes with the horse, he continued to murmur, "And you can't win if you're panicking about some trespassing human wandering around your stable, so just calm down… that's a good horse; settle down now…"

The horse neighed happily.

Glad that he had managed to calm the horse down, he locked it securely in its stall, and after one last affectionate pat, Drake took a look around the stable – and saw a girl in a blue dress lying on a hay bale, staring up at him with a surprised expression.

Oh, look at that. Riley was okay. That was good too.

* * *

(End of Chapter Three.) (T-30/05/17.) (F-17/06/18.)

* * *

 **Chapter Three notes:** (B01-C02C05.) While it would have been possible to turn the "saving the MC from the horse" scene into something overly romantic on Drake's part, I decided to go with something more understated :) Besides, in the game, he was very gentle with the horse, which was good for the horse… though the human in the stable with him might have thought otherwise! :P

 **About my main Pixelberry fanfic:** Hello! :) If you like Pixelberry's Hollywood U or Pixelberry's Red Carpet Diaries, then I encourage you to read my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute." It currently has 219,000 words (64 chapters), and it is written from Thomas Hunt's perspective :D

 **(Thanks for reading! :D Reviews make me smile! ^_^)**


	4. A Welcome Friend

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Choices. This fun game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter Four: A Welcome Friend  
**

* * *

If he had known that he was going to fall in love with Riley, that stable with the panicked horse would have been the perfect story. For example, he could have felt a sudden surge of protectiveness that made him stand between her and the horse that was about to trample her – and maybe that protectiveness somehow turned to love when he looked into her beautiful eyes. That sounded like a worthy love story.

It also sounded _totally_ stupid. Good thing Drake wasn't a walking cliché.

After the horse incident, which, quite honestly, didn't stir up _any_ romantic feelings whatsoever inside of him, they walked together to Liam's tent – Riley followed him because she wanted to spend more time with the prince, and Drake let her because he was the last person who would lecture anybody on following the rules. She went in first, and after Drake got drinks for the three of them, so did he.

As Drake handed each of them their cool drinks, he said, "Hope I'm not interrupting anything."

And to that, Riley replied, "Drake… of course not. We're happy to see you."

After so many years at court, he could tell whether people were telling the truth or whether they were lying, and Riley… was being completely sincere.

Of course, it could have just been that he saved her from being trampled just a few minutes ago.

But Drake also knew that any time alone with the prince was rare for any of the suitors, so to have one of them be genuinely pleased that he was there, treating Drake as if he were a welcome friend, instead of resenting him for interrupting their private conversation, was… _different_ from what he was used to.

In a good way.

* * *

After the Derby and the game of croquet, Drake and Maxwell joined Liam, Riley, and Hana at their table, where they were served delicious-looking tea, fresh cream, and fancy sandwiches… in pretty pathetic portions.

 _Really_ pathetic portions.

"Can this even be considered eating?" Drake asked, looking in dismay at the tiny servings. He poked a tiny sandwich with the tiny fork he was supposed to eat it with. "An ant would still be starving even after it ate ten of these!"

Riley laughed. "Drake, you're the _only_ guy I know who'd think that free gourmet food was something to complain about!"

Well, she had a point there… but her valid point didn't erase that fact that these tiny sandwiches were too fancy and too… fussy. Not his style at all. Shrugging, he said, "I'm just saying I'm simple…"

When she heard that, she grinned and replied, "I'll completely agree with that… just for the sake of politeness, of course."

Realizing that it was his fault she said that, Drake shook his head in mild amusement, feeling a small smile form on his face. He would have to watch what he said around Riley. She was a sharp one.

* * *

(End of Chapter Four.) (T-02/06/17.) (F-17/06/18.)

* * *

 **Chapter Four notes:** (B01-C06.) Maybe it's a just a small thing, but I really liked that we had the option to say, "Drake… of course not. We're happy to see you" in the tent. It's not even a romantic thing to say… it's just a _nice_ thing to say to somebody you're beginning to consider as a friend :) And I'm guessing that Drake doesn't get that reaction very often. So while he won't fall in love with Riley _just_ because of that, I like to think that he noticed, and appreciated, that she said that :D **  
**

 **About my main Pixelberry fanfic:** Hello! :) If you like Pixelberry's Hollywood U or Pixelberry's Red Carpet Diaries, then I encourage you to read my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute." It currently has 219,000 words (64 chapters), and it is written from Thomas Hunt's perspective :D

 **(Thanks for reading! :D Reviews make me smile! ^_^)**


	5. Cronuts and Skiing

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Choices. This fun game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter Five: Cronuts and Skiing  
**

* * *

In a way, taking all of them on a fun, lighthearted excursion like this was a victory for Riley. None of the other suitors had done anything like this for Liam. And on the way back to the palace, it would have been more logical for Riley to walk next to Liam, so that she could listen to him praise her for her carefree attitude as well as her impeccable taste in baked goods.

But instead of walking beside the prince she was supposed to be courting, or the easygoing noble who seemed to be her closest female friend in Cordonia, Riley instead chose to fall into step beside the grumpy commoner who always had something to complain about.

And they actually had a pretty good conversation, too. After talking about the deliciousness of the cronuts they just ate, they moved on to the topic of Drake's hidden charms…

…whose existence she apparently doubted! As Drake opened his mouth to expand on this important topic, Riley said sincerely, "Drake… I'm glad you managed to join us."

"You mean, that I managed to bring myself to sneak out of that stuffy palace?" he said, making a large gesture in the direction of their destination. "I'm surprised you don't know me better than that by now."

"Know you better?" she repeated. "Whenever we talk, you're always giving me scary warnings and dire pieces of advice. I hardly know you at all."

* * *

The next day, even after they had arrived at Olivia's snowy estate, Drake still had that conversation on his mind. He supposed that Riley had a point – she had never really seen his lighthearted side. So maybe he could convince her to ski with him. Out of all of Liam's suitors, she seemed… _different,_ from the others…

…though Drake was honest enough with himself to know that he was going to ask her… because he was just really, _really_ bored.

So, after they rode the ski lift to the top of the slopes, he challenged Riley to a ski race – but when she asked what made him think she knew how to ski, for some strange reason, he blurted out, "Maybe I'm starting to have faith in you, LastName."

Which was a mushy, **_stupid_** thing to say, just because the Derby made Drake think that Riley was _sort of_ nice; and the lawn party made him think that she was _sort of_ friendly; and their nighttime cronut expedition made him think that she was _sort of_ fun. Those things didn't mean **_anything._**

But, surprisingly, she replied, "Drake… I might have a little faith in you too."

He had _not_ been expecting to hear her say _that._

And rather than think too deeply about it, Drake instead gave her a rushed explanation of their race… before taking a _technically_ illegal head start down the snowy slopes.

"Hey!" he heard her call out. "No fair!"

Drake smirked. Riley was _so_ going down.

* * *

(End of Chapter Five.) (T-03/06/17.) (F-17/06/18.)

* * *

 **Chapter Five notes:** (B01-C06C07.) The two statements I used in this chapter (the things Riley said), which were available as choices in the game, seem very touching to me. I wanted to have Drake acknowledge them somehow, but not to the point that he became all lovelorn and unrealistic. It's a pretty difficult thing to balance, since I want to have Drake stay completely in-character _but_ still justify all the progress in their friendship/relationship that takes place later on during the stargazing and wine cellar scenes. (Also, in my game, my MC's last name is… LastName. Very original, right? XD) **  
**

**About my main Pixelberry fanfic:** Hello! :) If you like Pixelberry's Hollywood U or Pixelberry's Red Carpet Diaries, then I encourage you to read my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute." It currently has 219,000 words (64 chapters), and it is written from Thomas Hunt's perspective :D

 **(Thanks for reading! :D Reviews make me smile! ^_^)**


	6. Having Each Other's Backs

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Choices. This fun game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter Six: Having Each Other's Backs  
**

* * *

In her defense, despite Drake's head start, Riley did pretty well during their race, keeping her body low for wind resistance and darting past Liam and Olivia instead of trying to show off. It was when they reached a fallen branch that there was the problem. While Drake swerved around it, Riley crashed into it at full speed – though after she limped to him to officially finish their ski race, she had bigger things to worry about.

"We're supposed to dance the Cordonian Waltz? What is that?"

He shook his head in dismay. "Oh, LastName, LastName, LastName… What would you do without me?" After she glared at him, he explained, "The Cordonian Waltz is a traditional dance – and as one of Liam's suitors, you'll be expected to dance it in front of everybody."

Smacking her forehead with her palm, she moaned, "You mean, I'll be expected to look _stupid_ in front of everybody…" Riley trailed off as she suddenly gazed at him with an almost fanatical hope. "But _you_ can teach me! You've been here forever, so _you_ know this waltz, right?"

Drake laughed. "Do I look like a waltzing kind of guy? I don't know how to dance the Cordonian Waltz. But if you want help, Hana's your best bet – she'll definitely know this dance."

Almost right after that, they both heard Olivia calling everybody to her lodge to warm up.

"Thanks for the race," he told Riley. "I actually had fun."

She smiled. "Challenging me to a fun ski race, being the first to tell me about the Cordonian Waltz… Maybe you're not as bad as you seem, Drake. Thanks for having my back."

Picking up his skiing equipment, he gestured for her to do the same, and they both followed the crowd to the lodge. "You're going soft on me, LastName. Maybe I just think you've been humiliated enough during our ski race. It'd be a shame if you had to go through the same thing tomorrow in a fancy ballroom."

* * *

Unfortunately, back at the lodge, Olivia seemed intent on insulting Savannah, making Drake want to leave the room instead of staying and listening to his sister be degraded further.

Besides, it was time for the meteor shower anyway.

But, before he departed, Drake retaliated with an insult he _knew_ Olivia would definitely recognize. He bowed first to Riley, a commoner; bowed second to Hana, a foreign noble; and bowed last to Olivia herself, who was not only a Cordonian noble but also their current hostess.

Afterwards, ignoring Olivia's predatory call for him to come back, Drake headed towards the door to leave – and while Riley had thanked him earlier for having her back, it was her fierce hiss at Olivia…

"Leave Drake alone before I slap that smile _off your face._ "

…that caused Drake to pause at the doorway – and wonder if maybe Riley had _his_ back, too.

Then he left.

* * *

(End of Chapter Six.) (T-04/06/17.) (F-17/06/18.)

* * *

 **Chapter Six notes:** Write here.

 **About my main Pixelberry fanfic:** Hello! :) If you like Pixelberry's Hollywood U or Pixelberry's Red Carpet Diaries, then I encourage you to read my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute." It currently has 219,000 words (64 chapters), and it is written from Thomas Hunt's perspective :D

 **(Thanks for reading! :D Reviews make me smile! ^_^)**


	7. Meteor Shower

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Choices. This fun game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter Seven: Meteor Shower  
**

* * *

He knew that he should have been touched that Riley had come after him. But at the moment, all Drake could see in front of him was somebody who needed to save her strength to look out for herself. Worrying about Drake when she had just threatened Olivia, a Cordonian noble, was foolish. Riley needed to protect herself, because Drake, even if he wanted to, certainly couldn't protect her.

Not when he couldn't even protect-

"It's practically a blizzard out here, Drake. Why did you come out here?"

And because he, for some reason, wanted to share this special night with somebody, showed Riley exactly why he came out there – though he _did_ do it by giving her a shove so that she fell on top of the soft snow.

"Drake…" she gasped, looking at the beautiful stars and meteors above them. She fell silent, not knowing what to say.

With a thud, he landed next to her, lying down on the snow and looking up at the awe-inspiring view of the sky just as she was. "Yes, my lady?"

"This is… absolutely gorgeous…" Riley breathed, smiling in delight as the meteor shower began, admiring the celestial bodies as they left fiery streaks in the sky…

* * *

Drake had just planned on watching the meteor shower – but the gates had been opened, and memories of Savannah came rushing back, years and years of the two of them spending this night side by side, telling secrets and whispering wishes. Before Drake knew it, he began to talk… and Riley listened as he told her about Savannah's experience at court.

"…and she left the palace, left Cordonia. I know it was because of…" Drake trailed off.

"I know why she left," he said instead, trying to keep his voice level, "but I wish she would come back. The court is all Savannah's ever known. The thought of her lost out there somewhere, just wandering-"

His breath caught in his throat.

As the snow – and the meteors – continued to fall, he couldn't help but wonder. Where was she? Where was his sister? Where was Savannah? He was her older brother. He should have been there for her. Why couldn't he protect her from-

In the midst of his dark, clouded thoughts, he heard Riley's voice.

"I think you might have it wrong. Not all who wander are lost, Drake. Look at those shooting stars," she said, indicating with an arm the breathtaking spectacle above them. "They're leaving behind everything they used to know, but they know exactly where they're going. They aren't lost at all."

That… was actually very touching. What Riley said made Drake smile…

…until he realized that those same shooting stars were now crashing to the ground and exploding into a million pieces.

He shook his head in wry amusement. Riley was very good at giving pep talks… but her metaphors sure could use some work.

* * *

(End of Chapter Seven.) (T-05/06/17.) (F-17/06/18.)

* * *

 **Chapter Seven notes:** (B01-C07.) The prompt for this chapter was this week's #ChoicesCreates (Round Twelve) quote prompt, "Not all who wander are lost." I really like that Drake called her "my lady" in canon during this scene. In that special situation, it felt like he really meant it, you know? :D (Also, working with such a strict word count means having to edit a lot! I gave this fanfic a 499-words-per-chapter word count so that it would be a short, light fanfic that would be easy to write… but I just end up spending more time writing things that don't make it into the final draft! XD)

 **About my main Pixelberry fanfic:** Hello! :) If you like Pixelberry's Hollywood U or Pixelberry's Red Carpet Diaries, then I encourage you to read my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute." It currently has 219,000 words (64 chapters), and it is written from Thomas Hunt's perspective :D

 **(Thanks for reading! :D Reviews make me smile! ^_^)**


	8. Splendid Fireplace

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Choices. This fun game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter Eight: Splendid Fireplace  
**

* * *

"Drake?" His royal best friend seemed surprised, but pleased, to see him. "Come in! You look like you're about to turn into an icicle!"

"I feel like it," Drake agreed, teeth almost chattering, as he made a beeline for Liam's fireplace. Knowing Olivia, Drake's own fireplace in his commoner quarters probably didn't have any wood inside the grate or something. Holding his hands just a few feet away from the roaring flames, he sighed in contentment.

Sitting down beside him in front of the fireplace, Liam asked curiously, "I'm surprised to see you here. You said you wanted to be alone tonight. Didn't you say that you were going to watch… the meteor shower?" His voice had sobered towards the end, knowing what tonight meant to Drake.

Drake rubbed his hands together to warm himself up even more. "I did," he said, nodding, "but I wasn't alone…"

* * *

"…And then she told me that the next time I told her that she was doing something stupid, she would remind me about my little walk in the blizzard," he finished.

His best friend really _did_ have the best room in the estate, but Liam had been more interested in his story than in the splendid ability of his fireplace to dry Drake's hair and clothing. Liam had been concerned for him when Drake mentioned Savannah – only to smile when he heard that Drake had talked about her with Riley, knowing, as Drake did, that the last person to whom Drake had truly spoken about his sister in detail was Liam himself, and that had been about a year ago.

"She… is unique," observed Liam warmly. "Even though she must have been nervous at the opening ball of the season, one of the first things she did when we renewed our acquaintance was to ask me how I was feeling. Riley seems to be the type of person to care for others."

Drake nodded. That was a good quality – not only in a person, but in a wife. Normally, he wasn't the type to think of such sappy things, but with Liam's future happiness at stake, he could excuse himself just this once. Riley hadn't completely proven herself yet – but her genuinely caring attitude was a quality that could make her a very good wife for Drake's best friend.

A thought occurred to Liam. "Poor Riley must be freezing right now, though. You should make it up to her. Does she like whiskey?"

Since that had never come up in conversation, he honestly didn't know, and he told Liam as much – who then suggested that Drake find out tomorrow. He said it would be a nice gesture, showing that he appreciated that Riley had cared.

Which Drake did. _Really._ But…

"Does this mean that I have to share my whiskey with her?" Drake… grumbled.

That's right. Grumbled. Because grumbling was tough and manly. He most certainly did _not_ pout.

* * *

(End of Chapter Eight.) (T-08/06/17.) (F-17/06/18.)

* * *

 **Chapter Eight notes:** (B01-C07.) As somebody who has spent a lot of time at court, Drake instinctively knows that due to Riley's status as a suitor, it would be wise to inform Liam of his interactions with her, especially those that take place at night, like the meteor shower. This is both out of respect to Liam as his friend and prince, as well as for the safety of Riley's reputation :) It's even riskier at the moment because they're in Olivia's territory, where any servant who sees them in such a situation can report to her; not to mention because of the current situation with the leaked bachelor party photos. So that was why I had him go to Liam's room… well, that, and because Liam had best fireplace :D **  
**

 **About my main Pixelberry fanfic:** Hello! :) If you like Pixelberry's Hollywood U or Pixelberry's Red Carpet Diaries, then I encourage you to read my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute." It currently has 219,000 words (64 chapters), and it is written from Thomas Hunt's perspective :D

 **(Thanks for reading! :D Reviews make me smile! ^_^)**


	9. Lobster Bisque

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Choices. This fun game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter Nine: Lobster Bisque  
**

* * *

"I see you've been exiled," Drake said in amusement when he saw Riley and Hana approach his table. Using both of his arms to make a grand gesture towards their table, which was not only the smallest in the ballroom, but also the furthest from where Liam's table was, he declared, "Welcome to the table where all the lost ones go."

Smiling, Riley replied, "You're at our table, Drake? That's perfect – you can scare all the stuffy nobles away from us!"

While Hana observed that being seated with a commoner was probably intended as in insult to both of them, Drake wasn't offended by her words because he knew they were absolutely true. But Riley still surprised both of them by saying, "Well, Olivia really missed the mark this time."

With that transparent _niceness,_ she really was going to be eaten alive by these nobles – but Drake couldn't deny that that had been a not-so-bad thing to hear from her. "Thanks, LastName," he said as they both sat down. "That actually means something, coming from you."

* * *

Forget being eaten alive – this woman was just going to not _survive,_ period. After weakly telling a passing waiter she needed food, she covered her forehead with the back of her hand and pretended to faint – causing Drake to spring up from his seat and dive, barely catching her before she hit the floor.

Of course, let it never be said that Drake couldn't play along – he escorted Riley back to their table as gently as he could, and their combined performance seemed to have scared the waiter enough to give them one steaming bowl of delicious lobster bisque.

Drake, knowing that Riley had performed masterfully, congratulated her on the success of her scheme – though he also said that she ought to give him some warning next time. Really, this woman was like a clueless baby deer sometimes, just stumbling into situations without thinking of the consequences. Saving her from a panicked horse was one thing… but a bowl of soup wasn't worth the possibility of her breaking her neck!

Even though it was _very_ delicious soup. Sigh. Now he knew what he had been missing all these years.

Not only that – he had been missing good dinner company all these years, too. After telling Riley about his tragic party-with-no-whiskey experience, she reacted the way any proper person would have – she exclaimed that it was practically a crime to have a party without whiskey.

While Drake suspected that she wasn't being _completely_ sincere in her reaction – there was an attractive twinkle in her eye that looked a little too much like delighted laughter – he still invited Riley to drink whiskey with him like Liam had suggested. Drake would show her the awesomeness of whiskey!

And later, after the Cordonian Waltz fiasco _and_ the Olivia fiasco – poor Liam! – he figured Riley would _really_ need a drink tonight.

* * *

(End of Chapter Nine.) (T-09/06/17.) (F-17/06/18.)

* * *

 **Chapter Nine notes:** (B01-C08.) While not exactly a prompt, I read a negative Tumblr post about Drake which has the tags (#i keep seeing love for him now) and (#where did all the drake hate go i miss it), and it inspired me to write this chapter. I originally wasn't planning on publishing another one this soon, but when you're inspired, you're inspired! XD (And, of course, to be polite, I reblogged that post to thank the original poster for the inspiration :D)

 **About my main Pixelberry fanfic:** Hello! :) If you like Pixelberry's Hollywood U or Pixelberry's Red Carpet Diaries, then I encourage you to read my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute." It currently has 219,000 words (64 chapters), and it is written from Thomas Hunt's perspective :D

 **(Thanks for reading! :D Reviews make me smile! ^_^)**


	10. An Unexpected Development

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Choices. This fun game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter Ten: An Unexpected Development**

* * *

Thanking his bodyguard for all his hard work, Liam ended the phone call absentmindedly and placed his phone on the side table. Even after climbing into his luxurious bed, he couldn't relax at all – his mind was still trying to think of who had betrayed him at the bachelor party. As Bastien had just informed him, they had been able to buy the photos, which was a relief, of course – but there was still the matter of who had taken them in the first place.

Bastien had said that judging from the photos, only one of Liam's close friends could have been in the position to take them, and Liam didn't know what to think. He didn't want to consider the possibility that either Maxwell or Tariq could have betrayed him like that. In fact, he wanted to immediately dismiss the notion that one of those two could have done it, but as a prince, he had to look at the issue from all angles.

Sighing, he stared at the gilded ceiling of his room and started to go through that night's events in his mind one more time, to figure out if either Maxwell or Tariq had been acting suspiciously…

* * *

…when he heard a knock on the door. Happy about the interruption, Liam opened the door, and on the other side was Riley. She was still wearing her blue dress from the ball, looking beautiful as always – but for some reason, she looked a little… worried. Hoping he could make her feel better, Liam welcomed her in warmly and invited her outside for her to see his surprise.

But when she _did_ see it, she had a peculiar reaction. The many candles that were flickering happily around the outdoor hot tub, not to mention the stunning view of the mountains – didn't make Riley smile at all. On the contrary, her eyes widened and she bit her lip.

"Oh… and you even went through all the effort to do this…"

She trailed off, sounding very troubled.

That _really_ wasn't the reaction Liam had anticipated, and, worried that he had done something inappropriate – though truthfully, nothing about inviting one of his suitors to his abode like this was appropriate in the first place – he led her back inside, where they sat down on a small sofa.

But even after they had settled down, Liam didn't know what to do. Having gotten used to Riley's easygoing conversation, seeing her uncharacteristically pensive like this was something Liam wasn't sure how to handle. He didn't know what to say, or what question he should ask her to get to the root of what was bothering her – but she solved the dilemma for him. Looking at Liam straight in the eye, Riley spoke.

"I've come to ask for your permission."

"My permission? For what?"

"Your permission to leave Cordonia. Prince Liam, I don't think I can marry you."

* * *

(End of Chapter Ten.) (T-10/06/17.) (F-17/06/18.)

* * *

 **Chapter Ten notes:** (B01-C08.) Remember in the earlier The Royal Romance chapters, when barely anybody liked Drake? :P I had no idea if people would even read my MC/Drake fanfic… but YOU did! :D

 **About my main Pixelberry fanfic:** Hello! :) If you like Pixelberry's Hollywood U or Pixelberry's Red Carpet Diaries, then I encourage you to read my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute." It currently has 219,000 words (64 chapters), and it is written from Thomas Hunt's perspective :D

 **(Thanks for reading! :D Reviews make me smile! ^_^)**


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